


Improvements

by orphan_account



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-24
Updated: 2014-03-24
Packaged: 2018-01-16 20:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1361068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>David has a bad day, but Jack makes it better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Improvements

"And during this particular time period," the teacher droned on, "it was common for families to give away useless or unwanted children to convents and monasteries."

David heard someone snicker behind him and braced himself for the inevitable. Sure enough, Louis Feagan’s nasally voice cut its way across the classroom moments later.

"Oh, so David—"

"—is not Catholic," David interrupted wearily. Under differing circumstances he might have gotten angry - after all, none of these boys had ever dropped out of school to provide for their families. As far-reaching as his vices may have been, uselessness was not among them. But the jab was weak, and the heat of the day seemed to dull his emotions substantially. In addition, he was already exhausted from burning the midnight oil the night before, which was the price he paid to stay caught up after months of missing school.

As his classmates continued to whisper and laugh behind him, David rubbed his temples and urged the clock to move faster.

~~~

Jack wasn’t waiting for David outside the school building the way he sometimes did, and David had to bite back the disappointment that flared up because of it. But, he reasoned, he didn’t have too much work to do that night. He could afford to take a detour along their old route.

He didn’t have to walk very far before he heard someone call his name. A few seconds later, Jack plowed into him with a hug that nearly knocked him off his feet.

"Thought I wasn’t gonna see you today!" He beamed.

David laughed, somewhat self-consciously. “Yeah, but I missed you,” he admitted.

He’d expected Jack to get smug then, to smirk at him with that cocky expression he was so fond of wearing. But if anything his expression seemed to soften, and he ducked his head as if embarrassed.

"Whaddaya say we get out of the heat?" Jack offered quietly. "Irving Hall should be empty this time ‘a day."

David nodded, suddenly overwhelmingly aware of Jack’s hands, which were still resting against David’s sides from when they’d hugged. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I’d like that.”

~~~

The theatre was empty, as promised. Jack lead David backstage before sprawling out on the floor like an alley cat.

David leaned back against the wall and sank into a sitting position before sighing and closing his eyes.

"Rough day?"

"Yeah. God, yeah."

"You wanna talk about it?"

David winced. “Not particularly.”

And it wasn’t because it had been exceptionally horrible, either, but rather because it wasn’t. It all seemed so silly in hindsight, and Jack probably didn’t care about his vapid, schoolboy problems anyway. David had enough trouble grasping the idea that Jack could care about his vapid, schoolboy _self_. 

"I can hear you worrying from all the way over here," Jack announced.

"Sorry."

David opened his eyes to see Jack staring at him with a peculiar expression.

"C’mere," he said finally.

"Why?"

Jack flushed and looked away before meeting David’s eyes again.

" ‘Cuz you’re pretty, and I wanna look at you."

It was David’s turn to blush this time, and it seemed to spread all the way down to his toes.

"Come here, Davey," Jack coaxed again. He didn’t have to ask a third time.

Jack pulled him into a kiss the moment David was close enough to do so, and then settled back against the floor, grinning like he’d just won the world in a round of cards.

David settled against him and buried his face in the curve of Jack’s neck. Nimble fingers began to wind through his hair, and he hummed with contentment.

"Feeling better?" Jack mumbled.

"Much better."


End file.
